The College does not tolerate any form of harassment of any student, member of staff or other employee of the College or any visitor to the College. As part of the University of Cambridge we are dedicated to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming, inclusive and diverse community which nurtures a healthy environment and culture of mutual respect and consideration, allowing all members to thrive without fear of harassment, bullying, discrimination, sexual violence, abuse, coercive behaviours or related misconduct.
If you experience or witness any incidence of harassment or misconduct, please be assured that the College will support you in challenging such behaviour. You are encouraged to speak to your Tutor (or to a different Tutor if you prefer), to the College’s Discrimination and Harassment Contact or to others in a position to offer support and advice. The Welfare Officers of the JCR and MCR can help by directing you to the appropriate people.
The College has a Discrimination and Harassment Contact (currently the Senior Tutor), working with the Office of Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals (OSCCA), who can provide confidential support to students who may experience any form of sexual misconduct, harassment or discrimination linked to any ‘protected characteristic’ (race, religion and belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, or sex).
The University employs a Sexual Assault and Harassment Advisor who provides emotional and practical support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, or harassed, recently or in the past.
The contacts named above will be able to offer you some guidance in deciding whether or not you wish to report an issue formally. There are a number of different ways of doing so, depending on the circumstances and on your wishes. The College’s policies and procedures complement those of the University.
You may also want to consider reporting the matter to the Police. To contact them about a past incident or non-urgent matter, dial 101. For a rapid response in an emergency situation, dial 999. If on College premises, please also inform the Porters (01223 332000).
You can also anonymously report any type of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct to the University using the anonymous reporting tool. This system is completely anonymous and enables the University to understand the prevalence and types of misconduct happening in our community. However, its purpose is to collect statistical information and a report will not result in any action being taken in relation to the individual incident.
Whatever your decision, the College will respect your choice and continue to offer you personal support. If you so wish, the College will seek to address any reported incident of harassment or misconduct, in accordance with this zero tolerance policy, which applies equally to students and to academic and non-academic staff.